"You mean... you want to turn this country into your territory?!"
T-Bone was still in a daze, somewhat confused about the meaning of Cifer's two sentences.
But the king couldn't help but swallow hard, and walked tremblingly to the throne that should have been his, asking incredulously.
His words sounded doubtful, but T-Bone could hear the longing within them.
In the New World, the Great Pirate hold absolute authority, and the king is not the kind of commoner who thinks all pirates are villains just because they hear their names; he knows much more.
Most pirates are not afraid of the Navy, or rather, they do not consider the World Government Member States as Navy territory.
Therefore, the influence of the World Government Member States on them is not actually that great, but the deterrent effect of the Great Pirate is quite the opposite.
He had heard that there was a Fish-Man Island ten thousand meters below the surface of the ocean, inhabited by all kinds of mermaids and Fish-Man, and that it was also Affiliated Nation of the World Government.
However, for many years, due to the rarity of mermaids and Fish-Man, as well as the peculiar hobbies and racial discrimination of many nobles around the world, it has always been a place frequently visited by pirates.
The title of World Government Member States is of no use whatsoever.
But ever since Whitebeard, one of the Four Emperors, declared that place his territory and raised the Whitebeard Pirates' flag there...
The entire Fish-Man Island has become a forbidden zone that most pirates dare not trespass upon!
The man in front of me is now just as famous in the world as Whitebeard; he is also Great Pirate with Bounty high bounty.
The king admitted that he was tempted.
"You don't want to?"
Cifer saw through his thoughts and started teasing him.
"No, no! It's an honor!"
The king frantically swayed his body, afraid that the man would misunderstand his meaning.
"Then send someone with us to the port to retrieve your Heavenly Gold."
Cifer stood up. This throne felt awkward no matter how he sat on it, like sitting on a piece of wood that was about to rot.
Thank you so much!
"But... is there something Mr. Ulquiorra can do that I can help you with?"
The king was skeptical that a pie could actually fall from the sky, especially one with a filling and substantial ingredients.
"What do you think your poor and backward country can do to help me?"
Cifer responded without any mercy.
"That's true... but... doesn't Mr. Ulquiorra have any reason for helping us?"
The king looked puzzled.
"The reason? Because I am powerful enough to do whatever I want."
Cifer's lips curled up. His strength allowed him to do anything without a reason, and it was also the reason that supported him in doing anything.
"Really... Hahaha..."
"I'm sorry, Commodore T-Bone, but I've made up my mind. I will no longer hand over Heavenly Gold to the World Government! At least not until my people can live in peace and prosperity!"
The king smiled, then gritted his teeth and made what he considered a ridiculous yet hopeful choice.
The exorbitant Heavenly Gold has left this country with no chance of recovery, except perhaps by waging war.
But isn't launching a war simply about ensuring the survival of one's own people by causing the destruction and death of the people of other countries?
In the king's view, every citizen of every country was born of parents, and war was an undeserved disaster.
He absolutely refused to allow his people to live a good life in this way; he did not want his people to survive by drinking the blood and eating the flesh of others!
Now that someone is protecting his country, and such a powerful figure at that, he wants to ensure that his people have the opportunity to live a good life.
First, we must stop paying Heavenly Gold! Only then can we have surplus funds to develop the country.
"I'm the one who should be apologizing. The World Government took so much Heavenly Gold, yet we failed to protect your country!"
T-Bone bowed to the king; these past two days had been the days he apologized the most in his life.
The king was somewhat surprised, but he still quickly reached out and helped him up.
"You've already seen my answer, so what's yours?"
Cifer looked at the T-Bone.
"Once this journey to the Heavenly Gold is over, you should all go back. I've decided to become this man's subordinate, and I'm going to pursue my path of justice!"
T-Bone glanced back at the uninjured marines following behind him, and after much deliberation, gave his answer.
He wanted to leave the navy.
He wanted to be a man without constraints, a man who could truly protect ordinary people.
"Commodore T-Bone... no! Brother T-Bone, let me follow behind you too!"
At that moment, a marine knelt down in front of him with a thud, followed by a series of kneeling sounds, until all the marines in front of him knelt down.
"A benevolent and righteous general will surely have loyal and steadfast soldiers."
Although one may not see it in a lifetime, one can feel the passion and enthusiasm of the marines.
"What are you talking about? Becoming a Marine is a dream you've worked so hard to achieve!"
T-Bone shouted angrily, not even knowing if this was the right path, how could he let his subordinates take such a risk with him?
"My life was saved by Brother T-Bone. Wherever Brother T-Bone goes, I will go!"
After one person spoke up, more and more people began to speak. Without exception, all the marines present had received a lot of care from T-Bone.
"You bunch of... idiots!"
T-Bone wanted to give them a good scolding, but unexpectedly, he shed tears again. However, this time, they were tears of joy.
Just as he loved his subordinates, he was also deeply loved by them.
"Then, let's go."
With a gentle tap, Cifer shattered the space before everyone's jaws could drop in astonishment.
After the king sent men to retrieve the Heavenly Gold and expressed his gratitude once again, the national tour came to an end.
After taking the bodies of the wanted pirates and sending some marines to remove the flags from their ships, the fleet gained a few more members.
Over the next two weeks, they traveled to three more countries that had received the Heavenly Gold.
This time, T-Bone finally felt a little relieved that he didn't happen to be attacked by pirates again.
Two of these countries returned all their money and chose to fly the flag of Cifer, becoming his territory.
After all, when you're dirt poor, you're more than grateful to have a powerful figure willing to help you.
But when Cifer and his companions arrived at the last country, the scene before them was completely different.
The people at the port were emaciated, while those in the inner city had fleshy, menacing faces.
The closer one gets to the capital, the more drastically different the buildings and people's lifestyles become from those on the outskirts of the country.
The country's upper class is rolling in money, while ordinary people are still struggling to survive.
This is precisely the kind of country that T-Bone dislikes, and that refuses to eat a single bite at the king's banquet.
What did you see in this country?
"Who are the enemies of these civilians?"
Upon entering the capital, the bustling scene did not delight the Cifer companions; instead, it fueled their even greater aversion to the city.
Cifer looked at the magnificent palace not far away, then turned his gaze to T-Bone, who was gritting his teeth beside him.
Happy Lunar New Year's Eve!